


Apples & Arsenic

by KittehBoesternchen



Series: Kuroshitsuji Fairytales [2]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Ann even more so, Circus, Crossdressing, Eventual Smut, Family Drama, Grell is a maniac, M/M, Romance, Snow White Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-06-24
Packaged: 2018-03-29 23:00:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3913897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittehBoesternchen/pseuds/KittehBoesternchen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Since the demise of his parents, Ciel's aunt has kept him locked up inside and taken over everything he held dear. He manages to run away to try to save himself, his family name and fortune, on the night the maid is certain Ann will make away with the Phantomhive heir.</p><p>Fortunately for Ciel, the circus is in town and headed right where he wants to go. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any circus skills.<br/>But the circus's director, a tall dark (handsome) man named Sebastian, takes pity on and a liking to him. </p><p>A chase begins, halfway across the country, with death waiting spectacularly at every turn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Far into the Forest

**Author's Note:**

> Guys! So!! I got way too excited again and am posting this early, much earlier than I thought I would. As some of you guessed, yes, this plot will very loosely follow the plot of Snow White. I also already stated in the later chapters of BotB that con season starts, so updates will probably be a bit slower than with the last story.
> 
> This being said, enjoy!! And I love hearing your thoughts and opinions! <3

Run

Ciel’s breath was hard and burned like fire in his chest.

Run, Ciel, you have to go

Gasping for air was loud and painful but he kept on running, sneakers hitting the concrete like claps of thunder.

She will kill you, Ciel, run

The maid’s urgent whispers still rang in his ears. It couldn’t be true, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

RUN!

He took a left at the end of the driveway and another left turn which would lead him onto the forest path close to the manor. Once he deemed the darkness around him deep enough, he allowed himself to stop, all but collapsing into a bed of ferns, dry heaves shaking his small frame. The cocktail party aunt Ann was throwing was still in full tilt. No one was missing him yet – especially since he wasn’t actually invited to the party. He’d merely used the party as a diversion to flee once Mey-Rin had unlocked the door of his bedroom and ushered him out of the house via the servants’ pathways. He wore shoes and a jacket, a bit of money tucked into the inner pocket. He hadn’t dared to bring his cell phone out of fear Ann could have it traced. He had remembered to bring his inhalator, at least.

Every rustle made him tense and hold his breath until he was gasping, coughing, fingers scrabbling at the cord around his neck until he could push his inhalator between his lips and inhale, deeply. Immediately, the scratching and squeezing in his chest stopped. Drops of cold sweat ran down his temples and wetted the hair curling around his ears. The moment Ann noticed he was gone, she would send her pet maniac after him. Ciel shuddered at the mere memory of the scarlet haired man. Grell was aloof enough towards him, barely even noticing him usually, but the sight of that shark grin, teeth filed to horrible points was still giving him nightmares. Every cry of an owl now was sounding a lot like the revving of a chainsaw to Ciel, making him duck deeper into his ferns.

There were no called out taunts though, no blade swiping over his head. Nothing but the settling night and all its inhabitants coming out and going about their business.

Ciel sagged back. Now what? The money he had managed to hide wasn’t enough to sustain him. He owned nothing but the clothes on his back – if you didn’t count the hefty trust fund he couldn’t access until the matter of his parents’ will wasn’t settled. If he ran, he would miss the appointment with the notary and solicitor. If he didn’t…well, he was sure Mey-Rin hadn’t been exaggerating. If she had chosen this particular night to scurry him out of the manor, she must have overheard something. He was a bright boy usually, even hidden away as he was, and…ah.

He smiled lightly, raising his head over the tips of the ferns again. If he could make it to the appointment, he could relay his version of this story. It was two weeks from now, Angelina had told him in passing, in the notary’s office in Dover. Right now, he was just outside of London, which made a distance of just short of a hundred miles. Quick by car of train, but Ciel had to ration his funds. If he drove down to Dover immediately, there would be little left over for lodging or food and he didn’t know how well the solicitor would take his story. Angelina had been sure not to bother any of his father’s friends in this topic; Ciel didn’t know the man. 

That left walking. Ciel sighed and got up, brushing off his pants. At least he wore warm clothes. He didn’t dare run anymore, his strength had to be rationed as well. First stop would be London, of course, if only to find a Tesco and buy breakfast as cheaply as possible. Ciel had been sheltered before, but never kept inside forcefully like in the last three years. He wasn’t even sure if the townhouse still belonged to the family – or where exactly it was. This would take some careful planning. And he really didn’t want to walk all the way to Dover. Following the faint lights he could see through the trees, he was soon out of the woods on the other side of the bit of forest surrounding many of the manors of British nobility, a class he belonged to by principle. Not that he felt much like it.

Fate did him one better. Down at the base of the hill, just at the outskirts of London glittering around the broad band of the Thames, spotlights did slow turns around a large, colorful tent surrounded by smaller tents and a short train of transporters. A crowd had gathered at the entrance to the fenced off areal, waiting for the show to begin.

Ciel smiled slowly. The circus was in town.

**

“This is so odd”, sighed the freckled girl when the show was over and everyone was in the large tent behind the show arena where the crew usually spent their time off. “I know I had some biscuits here. Someone must have taken them from my plate.”

“Guys, my cup has been used”, the tall man beside her sighed, pushing his mass of dyed-orange hair back. “You know I don’t like it when someone drinks from it!”

“We were all out in the show, Joker, calm your tits”, grumbled the woman in the tight corset. “It wasn’t one of us.”

“Someone moved my chair!”

“I can’t find my knife…”

“Guys”, said the tall, bald man. “It seems someone was here that wasn’t supposed to get back here. An intruder.”

“An intruder?!”

“How?”

“Who could it be?”

“I am going to ask Sebastian what to do”, said the freckled girl and got up from where she had sat, staring mournfully at her empty plate. 

“He isn’t back yet though, is he?”, asked the small brunette girl in a voice that sounded too old for her little frame. “Although if he is, he’s probably in his tent, Doll.”

The freckled girl nodded with determination and strode off towards the tents that housed the crew members. Each had their own, each a different color and always put up in a tight circle around a pure black one. The one in the middle belonged to Sebastian, who was with all intents and purposes the owner and director of the circus. Towards the dark one Doll hurried, pulling aside the tent flap. “Sebastian?” She didn’t get an immediate answer, but there was someone laying on the cot put against one wall of the tent in the darkness of the tent. Frowning, she crept inside quietly. Whoever it was, it was unlikely this was Sebastian…for one, the director was much taller, and second, he would never just go to sleep without telling anyone he was back. She reached for her phone clipped to her belt and pushed the button to turn on the screen, using the dim light to find her way around towards the cot. 

Curled up on it lay a slight boy in socks, jeans and a big hoodie, with a face as pretty as a girl’s. She blinked at the sneakers on the floor…and spotted crumbs on one sleeve. So this was the biscuit thief, at least. Rocking back on her heels, she frowned and sucked on her lower lip in thought. Without making a move towards the boy, she turned and walked back out, carefully closing the flap. If there was someone sleeping in Sebastian’s tent, it would be best if she waited until the director was back to ask him lest she throw out a friend of his. That would not go over well. 

Doll returned to her toggle of friends, telling them only Sebastian wasn’t back yet.

**

Ciel stirred with a small hum when his bangs were brushed back from his forehead. He blinked sleepily into the dimness above him and jerked back when he found someone standing over the cot he had curled up on.

After finding the circus, he had skidded and slipped down the hill, getting his sneakers even muddied in the process. There was no cover on his way down so he had hurried, resulting in him scraping a long, lightly bleeding welt against his shin when he had tripped and fallen to hands and knees; the balls of his palm were scraped and ached as well. Once at the bottom of the hill, he had hurried into the crowd of tents, only then casting a fearful, panicked look behind himself.

The line of trees stood dark and quiet, sentinels at the grounds line of the Phantomhive estate. There was no flash of red hair, no gleam off of a metal blade. There was no one following him.

Ciel sighed in relief and loosened his grip on the laminated fabric of the tent. Slowly, he ventured deeper into the circus grounds. He didn’t encounter anyone; not with the show almost starting, everyone was busy. He found a tent that had one wall completely rolled up that had tables and benches in it…and on those tables…

Ciel’s stomach growled loudly in protest. The prospect of food alone made him feel faint, so he chanced only a guilty look around before snatching the biscuits off the plate and shoving them into his mouth. Chewing furiously, he spotted a cup a bit away and reached for it, gulping deeply to force down the dry crumbs. There was a strange, almost sour taste to the liquid in the cup but lunch had been hours ago and he had had to leave when Mey-Rin had brought him dinner because only then she had been given the key to his bedroom. There hadn’t been time to eat or even grab it before she had hustled him out of the manor. He put the cup back and turned, knocking a chair back a bit when he ran right into it. Something clattered from the table to the ground. Ciel fled the scene and chose the darkest tent to hide. His belly was barely filled, so the wine he had drunk went straight to his head. 

Hiding from possible psychos chasing him turned into a nap.

And now he was staring up into warm but curious garnet eyes, throat constricting with panic. “Someone’s sleeping in my bed”, the man murmured with a private smile, as if quoting something Ciel didn’t know. The boy squirmed off the bed, only to be caught. “Easy. It’s alright, you won’t be punished.” Ciel stared up again with huge, blue eyes, darkened with panic. “NO, you need to let me go, I need to….I….” He swayed in the grip, suddenly dizzy. Sitting down, now that the man gently nudged him back onto the cot, didn’t seem like a bad idea right now. “What’s your name, little one?”, asked the man kindly, lowering himself to one knee so they were almost face-to-face. The man was really tall, Ciel noticed. 

“I’m…” There had been a time in which Ciel had stated his name happily and proudly, aware of the tight net of family to catch him should he fall. That had been before a freak accident had killed both his parents and Aunt Ann had been given custody over him. That was before he had found out Aunt Ann was a psychopath, herself. Now, telling a stranger his name with the probability of said stranger returning him home was a terrifying prospect. “Um…”

The man smiled, stroking down his upper arm. “It’s alright. We were all runaways once”, he said, as if he had read the boy’s mind. “I’m Sebastian. You don’t have to be afraid, I won’t call the police over a few crackers.”

“Ciel”, he replied in a small voice. Surely only his given name wouldn’t give his identity away. “But…um…I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone.” Sebastian gave a small nod. “You have my word.” 

There was a beat of tense silence between them, garnet locked on navy blue, before Ciel averted his eyes. His cheeks were flushed due to the alcohol he’d unwittingly drunk, lips plump from being bitten with nerves. “I’m sorry…”

“No. No, you don’t have to be sorry. Joker’s cup can be cleaned, and biscuits can be replaced. Though you…” Sebastian looked at him thoughtfully. “Do you need a place to stay, or were you just passing through?” Large blue eyes turned back to him, luminous in the porcelain face. “Would you let me stay? You’re leaving this area soon, yes?”

“We’ll pack up two days from now; get to the other side of London, then south along the coast. We’re taking the Dover ferry in two weeks, our tour continues through France.” He smiled easily. “Why, did you want to come along?” Frantic nodding answered that question.

It was near perfect, although it would probably take too long to get down to Dover to take part in the appointment. If he turned up a little later, however, and talked to the notary, maybe something could be altered still. How better to hide than here on his way; he wouldn’t have to walk or hike and he probably would be fed. And once he was the heir to his parents’ legacy again, he could easily reimburse them a hundred times over. “I always wanted to join the circus”, he told the kind man sweetly. “I ran into some trouble here so there’s a change of plans in my life…quite abruptly so.” Sebastian chuckled. “You will have to try out, but that can be done tomorrow. The tests aren’t that hard and you can stay until then. Now. Are you hungry?”

Ciel’s belly answered that question for them both.

**

“Guys, this is…”, Sebastian started and trailed off at the tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he found those huge eyes look back up at him with fear etched into them; Ciel was terrified of anyone finding out his name, that much was obvious. “…Smile. He’s very sorry he caused all that confusion earlier, but he’ll be staying with us for a while.”

“Will he try out?”, Beast asked, one of her thin brows arches. “If he doesn’t pass, I can still feed him to Betty.”

“That’s her tiger”, chirped the tiny brunette girl. Ciel blanched. “Her…tiger?”

“Beast is our animal trainer”, Sebastian explained, fixing the woman with a firm look. “And she was kidding. Wasn’t she.” The woman just rolled her eyes and leaned back into the man next to her. “This is Joker, he’s an expert in juggling. Peter and Wendy work the flying trapeze. Doll walks the tightrope, and Dagger handles the action-filled knife shows. Jumbo is our strongman, he usually works between shows in the attractions exhibit.”

“What do you do?”, Ciel asked.

“Yes, what IS it that you do?”, Wendy chimed in with a giggle. Sebastian chuckled. “I make sure we don’t starve. Speaking of. Dinner?”

Dinner turned out to be a raucous affair. It was almost eleven at night and the commons tent was filled to capacity; Ciel was snugged in between Sebastian and Doll, who kept drawing him into light conversations with her calm voice. Yet the closer the clock ticked to midnight, the more nervous Ciel became. 

He felt when the clock finally did strike midnight, he could hear his aunt’s enraged roar echoing over the valley. 

No one else heard anything, apparently.

Ciel was given to Doll after dinner although he dutifully helped clean up the commons tent first. Doll’s tent was in the inner circle but boasted two cots instead of one. She claimed she didn’t like sleeping alone usually. Ciel was just glad he could finally stretch out. His feet hurt, his scrapes hurt and there was a dull throbbing in his temples that was entirely unpleasant. The moment his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.


	2. With a Smile and a Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As stated in BotB, con season starts and I'm on vacation from today until next week. I'm sorry, but I don't think a chapter will be posted in this time, but shortly after of course!  
> I'm very ecstatic to tell you that there could be a printed version of Beauty of the Beast very soon, with an amazing artwork as cover page. A good friend of mine offered to paint it and put the piece into print with the fictions and artworks she's having printed. Go check her work out, her FB page is www.facebook.com/YaoZaru
> 
> Let me know if you'd be interested in something like that and I'll try to make it reality. Also, as usual, feedback of all kinds is very welcome :)

The day was bright and sunny and filled with dismay. 

At least for Ciel it was. He didn’t quite enjoy the sun as much as the others….where the crew was calling out to each other happily, training in the sun and rolling up their sleeves, Ciel kept to the shadows cast by the tents. He had had breakfast in the sun and his ears and the tops of his shoulders were already stinging with burn.

“You’re too pale”, Sebastian chuckled when he had gone to complain to him. “I can’t turn off the sun, Ciel, I’m sorry. I believe first you need clothes that…cover you more.” Ciel glanced down at himself. His jeans were torn and dirty by now, and the shirt he wore he had worn to bed when Mey-Rin had come for him; it had cap sleeves and a wide, round collar. Looking up again, he noticed how Sebastian’s eyes were drawn to the expanse of smooth skin, following the line of his collarbone. The man cleared his throat and smiled again. “Let’s get you some, and I’ll put balm onto the burns. Don’t worry, that’ll clear right up.” When he offered Ciel his hand to take, the boy took it gladly. 

Even though he had been in Sebastian’s tent before for his impromptu nap, it looked a lot different by day and when he wasn’t being hunted. Not quite as dark and ominous, less a cave he had hidden in. He could make out the cot he had had curled up on, the chests, the vanity with the large mirror each of the crew members had in their tents to prepare for the shows. The dimness inside the tent felt balmy opposed to the bright sun outside and Ciel had to blink a few times to adjust his eyes to the change. Sebastian was already bent over one chest. Ciel stared for a moment at a shapely behind and long legs, then flushed and averted his eyes. Fortunately, his blushing wouldn’t be noticeable…his face was red from the sun already. 

When bid, he sat down on one of the chests close to the vanity. Sebastian flipped on the lights that were set around the mirror, making the area a little brighter, and knelt in front of him. In his hand was a palm-sized pot of something that smelled fresh and felt cool and gel-like when soft fingertips gently applied it to the bridge of his nose. Ciel watched quietly. “You’re pale as fresh cream”, Sebastian mused, spreading the gel-balm over the boy’s cheekbones to both sides, eyes on the task. His ears were next, then the cool fingers slid down his neck, keeping the touch instead of letting go and starting new where his shoulders and the curve of his nape were tinged pink. Despite the balm and his fingers being cool, Ciel felt warm – very warm. He couldn’t remember the last time someone touched him as carefully; his mother, possibly, when she still had insisted on bathing him herself. She’d stopped though when he turned ten. He had felt so mature then.

Ciel gave a minute shake of his head. Dwelling on the past wouldn’t help him in any way now. He couldn’t help the soft mew that escaped him when Sebastian brushed over the back of his neck. The darkhaired man blinked up at him in surprise. “Did that hurt? I’m sorry.” Ciel shook his head lightly again. “No, just….cold. I was in thought. It surprised me.” When Sebastian moved on to the tops of his shoulders, both of them were a little flushed.

 

**

 

“Absolutely not”, Ciel said in a deadpan tone. He was hot in the longsleeved shirt he wore to protect his delicate skin, even with how light the fabric was, his fine hair already stuck to his neck. Summer was truly awful. At least in his room, it was always comfortably cool.

His thoughts abruptly crashed to a halt. He would not wish himself back into captivity, no matter how hot it was here. Absolutely not. 

He shook his head when Doll pulled at his hand. “It’s easy, come on! I’ll help you.”

“I’m not getting on that rope. No. That is way too high up! What if I fall?” The brunette groaned. “Smile, my dear, you’ll never get an act here if you don’t dare to try everything. What if you’re a natural? Huh? You could be amazing on the high rope and you’ll never know it, won’t that be sad?”

“I can still use him as fodder, you know”, Beast butted in, walking past in that moment. Ciel gave her a glower from under his bangs. “NO thanks.” The woman chuckled. “Suit yourself, Snowy.” She’d been making fun of him non-stop since he had gotten sunburnt first thing in the morning. Ciel believed he didn’t like her much. 

He had already endured Dagger’s confused questions as to why he didn’t hit the target – as if he had used his time in captivity to train his muscles. Right. The daggers he’d been given were excellently balanced, the target merely ten feet away and he still didn’t manage to throw that far. Every blade had fallen to the ground, uselessly, before even coming close to the target.

Joker had tried to teach him to juggle after that. It resulted in a throbbing headache when the balls had dropped onto his head one after another instead of falling back into his palms.

He hadn’t even tried to lift Jumbo’s weights, that notion was just ridiculous.

And Beast, that mean bitch, had pushed him into the tiger cage without so much as a word, which had been terrifying. Fortunately for Ciel, Betty the tiger had been fed just a little ago and wasn’t interested in a snack. She’d merely nosed at him where he was pressed against the bars, then yawned wide and lie back down. Beast had let him out, but he’d been trembling so bad he couldn’t even stand for a while. At least he’d had the pleasure of watching Sebastian yell at her.

Sebastian himself had taken him under his wing after that, asking him if he’d help with lunch. Ciel had happily agreed, because it sounded relatively safe. Half an hour later, he had managed to reduce the potatoes by half from peeling them too thickly and the bread had burned under his watchful eye. Like honestly going up in flames. It was fine one moment and Ciel thought one more minute would be good to have the crust a little browner and then…whoosh. He’d barely gotten to save his eyebrows.

And now they wanted him to go up there. The tightrope was looming above him in a dizzying height; there was a net below it during training, but he knew by now that Doll didn’t use it when she performed. It was that prospect that terrified him most of all. “I really can’t. Please…”

“Smile”, Doll sighed and took both his shoulders, taking her hands back quickly when he winced with her squeezing his sunburn. “Look, kid, you have to do something around here if you want to stay…why are you here in the first place if you don’t want to perform?” She gentled her voice when she saw the hurt and despair cross his face. “No, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry. I just meant…why the circus? You’re not from a circus family, you don’t have any specialty. Wouldn’t something else be easier for you?”

For a moment, he was tempted to tell her everything. That his parents had died and left him millions, but the will hadn’t been opened since he wasn’t quite eighteen yet and his aunt, who was his legal guardian was a crazy bitch that would probably sacrifice him to Satan one day. Or give him to her maniac to play with. That he had run away to save his life and had to get to Dover as soon as possible and that the circus was the only way to go, that he didn’t want to be a performer. That he planned to use them for as long as they were useful, then leave. 

The thought put a sour twisting in his belly. These people were nice, for the most part, had taken him in without prying into his past, only asked that he contributed to the show in return. They didn’t want money, they weren’t abusive. Ciel might have been an introvert, but he wasn’t an asshole.

“I….”, he began, looking down at the dirt between their feet. “I….ran away from home. I can’t go back. It’s not a home, anyway.”

To his surprise, Doll smiled at him. “So did I.”

“You did?” Doll shrugged, pulling him aside so others could more easily pass through the tent flap. “Yeah. Isn’t that the cliché? Runaway kids always head for the circus. Dead pets, too, that’s what your parents tell you. Because they love you, I guess, and don’t want you hurt. All that doesn’t count when you grew up in an orphanage and a dozen foster homes.” She shook her head when pity crossed his face and his mouth opened. “No, don’t. It’s okay. Just know, I understand where you’re coming from. I know it’s not easy.”

Humbled, Ciel sagged a little. He’d been so preoccupied with his own problems that he hadn’t even thought about how others would have ended up here. “Sebastian’s really nice”, he replied softly in return. “He sure is!” Doll said happily. “Now, about that rope? Let’s start with a lower one, come on. Don’t look at me like that, I wouldn’t have put you up there on your first try!” Ciel grumbled. “Could have fooled me…”

The lower tightrope was a mere foot above the ground. Ciel took a deep breath and steeled himself; he wouldn’t hurt himself if he dropped from there. The ground was soft with grass and the sawdust they had sprinkled liberally over it. He set his foot onto the rope, shifted his weight onto it…

And dropped to the floor on the other side, face first into the sawdust. Behind him, Doll laughed raucously. 

Ciel found himself smiling in return.

 

**

 

“Well…”, Sebastian sighed softly as Ciel sat on that chest again after the show, wincing as more balm was put over his sunburn as well as a dozen scrapes along his arms and legs. There was a bruise on his hip that throbbed with his heartbeat, his knees looked like he’d been dragged behind a car and he thought he’d twisted his ankle. “I suppose you haven’t found your calling yet?” Ciel shook his head mutely, looking down. Surely the man would send him away; he wasn’t useful at all. Instead, Sebastian lifted his face and brushed his bangs away from his eyes, looking thoughtful. “You’re not the most athletic person, pardon me for saying”, he told him gently. Ciel had to nod, he really wasn’t. “I’ve been thinking about where to apply you all day”, the director continued, a fingertip smoothing balm over the bruise high on his forehead where the juggling balls had hit him. “It’s unbecoming to rough you up every day just to force you into something you don’t want. So I thought…maybe we can put you in the sideshows. You know, where Jumbo works, to entertain the patrons before the show starts.”

“I tried the weights”, Ciel replied in a small voice. “I couldn’t-“

“No”, Sebastian interrupted. “No weights, goodness, no. But I believe I have the perfect thing for you.” He left him sitting there and got up, walked to another chest to open it, and pulled out clothing. A costume, by the looks of it, deep blue and cream, frills and valances, something his aunt would have loved if only it had been red. The cut was flattering, but….”This is a dress”, Ciel noted even as he held out a hand to feel the fabric. “It is, yes. In older times, the sideshows included artists that were able to stay very, very still in their costumes, like dolls or statues, only moving their posture every now and then. I believe that would be great for you.” He smiled at him. “Will you try it?”

Ciel looked at the dress in his hands, stroked the fine, silky fabric. Dark blue silk and grey brocade, a hint of cream white petticoat. “I can be very still”, he replied. “I had to, when…” Sebastian smiled gently when he trailed off. “Wanna tell me what all this is about? Because I don’t quite believe you always wanted to join the circus.” The man was more perceptive than Ciel had calculated. He dropped his eyes again. “I can’t…”

“I’m sure that’s not true. Hey, look at me…” Gentle fingers lifted his chin so dark crystal eyes met up with garnet ones halfway. “I won’t send you away, and I won’t turn you in if you don’t want to. But I believe I have the right to know what happened and just who you are, don’t you think? If I let you come along, I mean?” It took a moment of consideration, but Ciel took a deep breath.

“My aunt is planning to murder me.”

Sebastian rocked back, eyes wide in surprise. “I’m sure that-“

“No, don’t tell me you don’t believe it. I know it. The night I came here, our maid freed me from my room and told me to run because she had overheard something. I didn’t want to believe it, but I have to trust her, at least. If I go back, if she finds me…I’m dead.”

The silence between them was so oppressive Ciel began to squirm. “I can find somewhere else…”

“No.” Sebastian interrupted him. “No, Ciel, you don’t. You’ll stay here.”

“Thank you.” Ciel could see Sebastian seriously struggling with himself before he spoke again. “Just what happened that she wants you dead?”

The boy looked up at him. “I’m Ciel Phantomhive.” It seemed that was enough for the man to understand the situation; everyone knew about the tragedy of that noble family. Both parents dead in one night, a bloodbath if there ever was one, the case still unsolved. The only heir returning from public school, never to be seen again. No wonder, if the boy’s aunt had kept him locked up inside. “I suppose it would be best if you stayed with us until the matter is settled”, Sebastian told him gently. “And I believe you will be splendid in your costumes. Those will efficiently hide you in plain sight, as well, should someone come looking for you.”

“Just don’t trust anyone in exaggerated red.”

 

**

 

It felt weird at first, wearing a dress, but Ciel quickly got the hang of it. Eventually, it felt quite natural and it didn’t even take long for him to be comfortable. He was set into a wagon that had a glass pane instead of one wall to mimic a cabinet where one would store such old, expensive dolls; Wendy had gone to town earlier and found tresses in a costume shop that matched his hair color, which were clipped to his short hair to look like pigtails, long and curling elegantly at the ends. His face had been powdered so the healing scrapes and bruises wouldn’t show, the dress fit him perfectly as was draped around him as he sat in a little armchair with curled armrests and intricate wood carving for the back. He was glad he didn’t have to walk in the high heeled shoes on his feet. Wendy had put him in there the very next day after breakfast without the costume so they could see how long he would be able to sit still in one pose, how ajar the door had to be for him to have enough air. It turned out Ciel was very good at being a living doll, even if the wagon made him feel as if he was in a glass coffin.

His lashes had been darkened with mascara, eyeliner making the deep blue of his eyes stand out even more, he even endured the light pink lipgloss Wendy had dabbed onto his mouth. Doll had taken a picture with her phone and showed it to him. Ciel had to admit he was impressed. 

And he had fun watching the people milling in front of his cabinet. More often than not, they stopped in front of the glass and discussed whether he was real or just lifelike; in those moments he changed his pose, so when they looked back at him he would be seated differently, have his eyes closed or open or smiling. Some people were creeped out at first, and that was a lot of fun too. 

It was the last show in this spot, the next day they would move on to London’s other side, then down the coast. Ciel felt quite safe…but then, something too red appeared. 

It took all his control not to flinch and bolt. Twenty feet away, Grell stopped and watched Jumbo lift a weight that was as large as Ciel’s body and much heavier. 

No, no, no…he couldn’t be here. His plan had worked so well so far, why was he here? Cold sweat ran down the back of his neck and disappeared into his dress, trailing an icy finger down his spine. He had to sit still. Don’t move, don’t move…Grell turned, and Ciel closed his eyes. 

Maybe if he didn’t have his eyes open, if he canted his head down as if sleeping, the maniac wouldn’t recognize him. It also put out his vision, of course, and his fingers cramped around the curved handrests. The next thing he knew, the door to his cabinet opened and he bolted so harshly he smacked right against the glass. Joker blinked at him in mild alarm. “Goodness, kid, it’s just me, relax…were you in the zone?” He held a cup of water in his hand. “The show’s starting, thought I’d let you know. No one will be around for a while, but some patrons like walking the grounds in the break and after the show, so stay here, kay? I’ll have someone bring you a snack if you’re hungry.”

Ciel took the cup, hands trembling so badly the water spilled and darkened his gloves. “Joker, I…did you see a man all in red?” The other laughed. “That was a man? Yeah, he’s watching the show. Why, you know him?”

“N-no, I…I just…” His fingers tightened around the cup. “He can’t see me. He can’t, or something horrible will happen. Please, just….”

Concerned, Joker stepped inside. “Alright, it’s alright, here, sit down. Drink. Did he do something to you before?”

“You can say that…”

In truth, Grell had never done anything to him, really. The redhead wasn’t interested in him and what little conversations they had had been short and rather polite. But Grell was loyal to the Madam, and the Madam wanted him dead. “I’ll keep an eye on him”, Joker promised. “I’ll tell Sebastian, if you want. An’ the others. We’ll keep him away from your box.” Relieved and grateful, Ciel nodded. He finished the water and the light snack some of the helpers brought him a bit later, anxiously waiting for the show to be over. 

Before Ann, he’d been happy. His parents had been doting, if busy with their charities and his father’s business, he had adored the servants and they had adored him. His favorite cousin, Lizzie, had been over so often he was rarely without her. He’d had a big hound he had loved. Even his aunt had been nice to him, though she was seldom around. 

Everything changed when the police had picked him up from school one night, telling him his parents had had an accident and his aunt was his guardian now. He was to finish his education from home because she wanted it like this. They had moved into the country manor and Ciel had been forbidden from going outside, even just into the gardens. Ann kept him inside and locked in his room if she thought he’d misbehave, with enough food and water so he wouldn’t starve and enough books to keep him from going insane from boredom. He had a TV, a computer, a library. Lizzie hadn’t come back. His hound was gone, too. And the maid eventually told him after relentless pestering on his side that his parents had been cut apart in their bed by what seemed to have been an electric knife.

It just so happened that Grell loved his chainsaw. 

Ciel had had no opportunity to explore the possible involvement of his aunt in his parents’ death but he had no doubt she’d had them killed. He really didn’t want to be next. 

He was so lost in thought that he almost jerked back when that repulsive red was seen again…standing right in front of his wagon. Bright green eyes studied him with interest. “How pretty”, Grell murmured, putting a palm against the glass. Ciel didn’t dare move, even though he was sure the redhead would see his pulse racing under his skin. Dread kept him immobile.

He was saved not a blink later by Sebastian. “Sir, this part of the exhibit is closed after the show. Come along, you can take a look at the animals instead.”

“Closed, you say! That’s unfortunate”, Grell cooed, looking the tall man up and down. “My my, director, you’re a handsome guy…I’d love it if you had a bit of exhibitionist inside you.” His smile curved sharp and predatory, turning from the wagon to put a hand on Sebastian’s chest. “As it happens, I’m a bit of an exhibitionist…and I have a bit that would fit inside you just fine.” Disgust crossed Sebastian’s features before he had himself under control again. “A tempting offer, but I must decline.”

“Must you, really?” Grell clicked his tongue. “Too bad. Where did you get this exquisite doll, might I ask? It looks quite real.”

“One of my coworkers and a bit of make-up, I’m afraid. Come along.”

Sebastian managed to lead Grell away, but it didn’t calm Ciel’s heart. The hunter had found him. He had no illusions that a bit of make-up and long tresses would deter Grell from his prey. 

Maybe being put into a glass casket for people to gape at him hadn’t been the best idea how to hide him.


	3. Like a Dollhouse

Ciel did his best to help with packing up when the crew packed up the next morning, but he didn’t get much done after all.

The sun was beaming down as bright as yesterday and before long, his shirt was damp and clung to his skin. Ciel enjoyed the work, though; it seemed real, and honest, and these clothes, ill-fitting as they were and far inferior in quality than what he usually wore, felt just as good as the dress had last night. His parents as well as Ann had always insisted on him being dressed impeccably, although his parents had had more reason to seeing as he had been allowed to go out then. Ann had just been petty. Of course he couldn’t just sit on his bed in his pyjamas to read a book, no, he had to be dressed in a button-down and slacks and shoes, for heaven’s sake, just because she wanted to see a doll instead of a teenager if she happened to stop by. 

Ciel shut this destructive train of thought down immediately. He didn’t want to think about Ann; doing so would remind him of Grell and that flooded his system with panic. 

“Smile, sweetie, are you okay?”, Wendy asked in concern when she walked by and saw him just standing there frowning and shaking his head slowly. He jerked his head up and blinked at her owlishly. “Huh? Yes. I’m fine. Thank you”, he replied, giving her a light smile. It felt good to smile at people. He wasn’t in the habit of showing his emotions but these people were so open and friendly and quirky he couldn’t help but feel comfortable. “Leave the heavy lifting to Jumbo”, she winked at him, nodding to the flag he held in his hands. “Maybe you can help Beast with the feeding and penning, that’s not so strenuous.”

Ciel found he actually liked Beast. Yes, she ordered him around and glared a lot and seemed gruff, but when he arrived in the area the animals were hosted, she was sitting in on a trunk in the sun, Betty’s large head on her lap, scritching the tiger’s cheeks and ears. The large cat gently huffed in enjoyment every few breaths. He stopped to watch for a moment, but Betty’s ears were already twitching with his approach. The long, striped tail described a lazy half circle over the grassy ground and Beast’s chocolate eyes opened to look at him. “Come to feed some animals, kid?”

He smiled at her. “Wendy said you might need help.”

“Betty needs some juicy steaks. Are you volunteering?”

“If you tell me where they’re kept I can go get some”, Ciel offered and Beast smirked, lips twitching, then laughed at his obliviousness. “Alright. No. Come here.” Hesitantly Ciel stepped closer and was immediately charmed; behind Betty’s large body, curled up in the sun, were two tiger cubs napping. Betty watched him with alert eyes but didn’t make a move to attack as the boy leaned over, lips parting. “How precious…”

“You can pet them, if you want. Betty doesn’t mind I’m sure.” Ciel wasn’t so sure, but he inched around the trunk Beast sat on to crouch down next to the cubs, reaching out a hand to stroke the silky, fuzzy fur. The cub stretched and curled up around his hand so he could pet the soft belly. Ciel found himself smiling again. He looked up at the young woman. “How come they’re so friendly?” She chuckled, reaching down to grasp the other one efficiently and lifted the cub onto her lap for a cuddle. “They’re going to be circus tigers. They need to be used to humans so they don’t attack them either out of fear or aggression, so we make a point to interact with them from an early age. These two are three months old now.”

Ciel ended up feeding both of them with a bottle, one after the other curled on his lap and into the crook of his one arm, while everyone else packed up. Betty was watching him lazily from her travel cage but didn’t protest his handling of her babies. Eventually, a shadow fell over him.

He looked up to find Sebastian standing over him. “There you are. I was looking all over for you”, he said, but he didn’t seem angry fortunately. His eyes were drawn to the cub in Ciel’s arms, but he made no move to touch them. “Beast asked me to…” The tall man shook his head, smiling. “It’s alright. I’m sure they were very hungry.” Now he reached down to touch the fuzzy head of the baby; from her cage, Betty growled, getting to her feet. “She doesn’t like you much, huh…”

Sebastian smiled sadly. “Unfortunately not. I seem to have displeased her in some way.” He stood straight again and looked down at Ciel. “Will you ride in the truck with me?”

Of course he did. The circus was packed up into five trucks, all of which pulled an animal compartment also. Sebastian led the way in the one he drove, Ciel strapped into the passenger’s seat. The ride was slow and careful, due to the delicate equipment and live cargo, so the trip from one end of London to the other took longer than Ciel had remembered it. He could barely believe that the next show would be that evening already, packing up had taken at least four hours and it would take just as long, if not longer, to set everything up at the next grounds again. Downtown London was packed with cars and buses and they stood on one of the bridges for the longest time. Ciel found himself humming along to the song playing on the quiet radio. 

Sebastian smiled over at him. “You’re pretty relaxed for someone stuck in traffic.”

“Well, I’m not the one having to drive”, Ciel grinned over. Sebastian chuckled. “Would you like to?”

“Even if…” Ciel spread his hands and shrugged. “I don’t have a license. I’ve never been behind the wheel of a car before.” The elder looked at him with brows raised. “You’re…”

“Not quite old enough to have learned before, and besides, if I do go somewhere, I’m usually driven…”

“Or you go by foot”, Sebastian teased him. Ciel gave him a small smile. What could have been seen as a barb didn’t sting at all. “Only if I have to run.”

“I’ll teach you myself. We have a one day layover before we get to Canterbury. We’ll make a day trip to the sea and you can try to drive.”

That sounded pretty nice actually. “You know we’ll be in a world of trouble if we’re stopped by the police.”

Sebastian’s grin was close to demonic. “If. You mean if we’re stopped.”

**

To his loathing, Ciel’s dress that night was pink. He made a face as Wendy helped him get dressed and made up. “I don’t like this one.” It was perfectly doll-like, with a full skirt that hung in drapes, a bodice waist and long black gloves that matched the applications on the skirt and chest. Wendy chuckled. “It’s apricot, Snowy.” Ever since Beast had begun calling him that for his sunburn, one by one everyone else had done, too. Ciel supposed it fit him better than ‘Smile’ anyway. “It’s pink. And it’s horrible”, Ciel complained, pouting when the short girl stepped onto a stool to clip in the long pigtails he would wear. A cloth flower was clipped into his bangs to hide one side of his face. The other side was already made up, eyeliner and mascara making his eye huge in his pale face. Wendy purposefully didn’t use blush on him, she had said, to make him seem more fragile and dolly. Atop the flower came a hat in the same color as the fabric of the dress. Ciel had liked the one from the day before much better; at least it had been a color that wasn’t an eyesore. “See how pretty you are! We should sell pictures of you. And calendars.”

Ciel didn’t think that was a very good idea, but smiled and thanked her anyway. He was put into his glass casket and settled into his little chair comfortably, eyes closed for the first pose. He’d be tempted to follow the patrons with his eyes if he didn’t, trying to find red in the crowd. It would stress him more than necessary.

He was a little disappointed he wouldn’t be able to see the crew perform with his new job; he could hear Sebastian’s deep voice though when he announced the acts, amplified by the microphone clipped to his ear, his words rolling over the grounds. As he sat and waited before changing his pose, he had a lot of time to be alone with his thoughts; instead of scary, as he thought it would be, Ciel found that very meditative. He felt oddly peaceful despite the bit of panic running through him at the prospect that Grell could find and recognize him; in his fantasy, the redhead would smash the glass with his chainsaw, making splinters rain on Ciel sharply, grasp him by the neck, drag him back screaming and slaughter everyone that tried to stand in his path.

Doll. Wendy. Betty the tiger and her babies.

Sebastian. 

Ciel grimaced and shifted into another pose to hide it. He chose a spot in the middle distance and let his face go blank. He was putting all of them in danger; something he hadn’t thought he would care about but found that he did. He wasn’t even sure how this would play out, maybe the notary wouldn’t even listen to him, maybe Ann had gotten to him before. What if she had figured out his plan already and made the necessary steps to spoil it? She wasn’t stupid; as a doctor and a first grade manipulator, she was more than apt to see through his plots. He could only hope that she believed the circus to be so far beneath her noble-born nephew that she wouldn’t even consider it. 

The circus crew was good people. They were a little dysfunctional, but they were kind and caring and they had taken Ciel in without a second thought.

Guilt crept in to hang out with his paranoia.

He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if Sebastian was harmed because of him.

**

Ann was throwing another fit. Grell took a step to the side calmly to dodge another heavy paperweight she threw in his direction. The color in her cheeks matched her hair, furious beautiful red. He loved watching her get all riled up. Fury was even better than arousal, he found.

Sure, he had thought he’d found the little brat. He hadn’t told her. For Ann, the boy remained lost. 

To be fair, Grell didn’t have anything against the boy. Certainly not his type, too young and too twinky, all pale and gloomy up in his tower – but Ciel had never been cruel to him or treated him with anything but politeness. He was quite smart, too. In his heart of hearts, Grell found it a travesty what Ann planned to do to the boy. It would be so much easier to treat him like family, get a huge chunk of the trust fund when the kid turned eighteen and live as beloved aunt. That certainly was nothing to sneeze at. The kid was kindhearted enough that he’d support her until the end with anything she could want. It wasn’t like Ann was broke, anyway.

Grell dodged yet another object – a stapler, this time. “I’m sorry, madam. I’m sure I’ll find him soon.” Not too soon, though. As much as Grell loved spilling blood, paint everything a glorious red, the tiny thing wouldn’t have enough inside him for even a small room.

That’s what he told himself to justify the lie. 

“You’d better! The appointment is next week and the full moon just a day after that. We can NOT lose time like this! I want him back here by his birthday!”

“Yes, madam.”

“You have to find him before he starves. I need him alive. For a while.”

“Of course, madam.”

“Ugh, just go find the little bitch. Quickly.”

Grell bowed at the waist and left the room, throwing an impassive glance at the body chained to the wall that Ann was approaching now. Poor girl. 

The maid wasn’t quite dead yet, but he assumed this would be the last time he’d see her breathing.

He left the manor, then the grounds, passing the frantic little gardener and didn’t pay him any attention. The manor had gone very quiet ever since Ciel had run – if Mey-Rin wasn’t screaming, that was. Beautiful screams. Grell enjoyed them very much although he wasn’t allowed to play, not until he had found the boy. 

Tracking him should have been easier. The boy was clumsy; his path through the foliage should have been obvious. As it was, Grell had found nothing but a little pressed down patch of moss in a nest of ferns. Nothing more. Nothing less. Could have been badger for all he knew.

The circus grounds had been promising. There had been a kid that looked a lot like the Phantomhive heir, but Grell hadn’t been sure. He normally didn’t care if it was the right victim as long as he could rip someone open…but he wouldn’t be allowed to play with Ciel anyway, and there would be hell to pay from his mistress if he brought her the wrong child.

Now if he’d only paid more attention to what the little brat actually looked like.

This evening, he went out without his beloved saw, taking only two knifes. Easier to hide. When he came to the circus grounds, deciding to look at the living doll more closely, the little valley was empty.

Bright green eyes blinked once, twice behind redrimmed glasses. “Uh.” They were gone.

**

“You did really well tonight, Snowy!”, Dagger clapped him on the back so hard Ciel almost choked on his biscuit. “I didn’t actually do anything…”

“Now, don’t be modest, you’re really pretty in drag”, Doll winked at him from across the table. Sebastian chuckled as he put a large pan into the middle of the table. “Alright everyone, here’s your reward for a well-done job! It’s apple and raisin crumble. Enjoy!” He cut the still hot dessert and put piles of it into small bowls. When he set one down in front of Ciel, the boy shook his head. “I’m sorry, I can’t eat that. I’m allergic to apples.” Here were disappointed and sympathetic exclamations all around. “Like, a pimple or two allergic?”, Joker asked and Ciel shook his head again. “No, it’s really bad. My windpipe would swell shut in moments. It’s really unpleasant.”

Sebastian was quick to exchange his crumble for a plate with a few oatmeal cookies. He was rewarded with a smile so radiant it managed to outshine the period of sunshine they’d been graced with so far. It was redirected too quickly when Wendy tangled Ciel up in a conversation about how she had looked through the large costume chests and was sure she could alter some of them to fit the boy for more variety in his show outfits. Ciel actually seemed interested in that.

The director sat down, the chatter a din around him that he could tune out easily as long as no one was talking directly to him. Ciel was glowing across the table; there was a slight blush in his cheeks, lips pulled into a permanent light smile, the beautiful seablue of his eyes reflecting the candles and lanterns they had put up for their after-show dinner. He seemed at ease here. He looked happy.

Sebastian’s eyes followed the delicate line of the boy’s neck down to where it curved into the line of his soft shoulders. 

How he wished he could keep him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, someone's falling I suppose :) I'm sorry posting this took so long. If you wish to know, the first convention of the season was completely amazing. I had a very nice week of cosplay building, spending time with good friends (and having way too much sushi, if there is such a thing!) As improbable as it is, if any of you guys are ever on an anime convention in Germany, tell me! I'd love to chat :D


	4. A special sort of Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're amping up the drama in this chapter! Before the week is out, A&A will be completed I assume. I have a few days all to myself, the weather is nice, so writing will go smoothly! I apologize for there not being any smut yet - it didn't fit the flow of the story. The next (and last) chapter will probably have some in one way or the other. If you positively can't live without steamy sex, check out the other WIP I just had to post early: Bittersweet!
> 
> Now enjoy, my lovelies, feedback is always appreciated <3

„Sebastian“, the redhead said with relish as the tall darkhaired man frowned down on him. They were almost of an height, but the director had an inch or two on Grell that the redhaired man seemed to find incredibly titillating. “What a gorgeous name. Fitting, for such a gorgeous man as yourself, I suppose”, Grell cooed, running a hand up Sebastian’s chest. Sebastian grimaced, barely managed to turn the expression into a polite, if forced smile. “Well. I can’t answer that without sounding conceited, can I.”

“Ooooh you’re modest too!!”

It wasn’t the fact that Grell was a man that put Sebastian off – far from it. It was the garish color he wore from head to toe; Sebastian didn’t like red, really. Nor did he like such…forward people. 

He especially didn’t like him because this was the man Ciel had told him would come to drag him back.

Sebastian had a hard time wrapping his mind around Ciel’s story. He believed him, naturally, but he found it very hard to believe that anyone would want such a delightful young man dead, especially his own aunt. Ciel was introverted, yes, but Sebastian wasn’t sure if that hailed from being locked up the last few years in a room with only books as company or if he’d always been naturally quiet. He enjoyed Ciel’s company. 

The world would be a little darker without him, he believed. He would not let that happen.

“Would you like a tour of the grounds?” Take one for the team, Sebastian – make the guy happy, he’ll leave soon enough. It was better than ignoring him, people like that were notorious for hanging around where they weren’t wanted. Ciel was hidden; by now all the crew knew this red man meant trouble, so whenever someone spotted him, they ran to grab Ciel and hide him somewhere. The rest of the crew would then begin to distract the redhead. Today it was Sebastian’s turn. He bore the pain of the redhead grabbing onto his offered arm and walked a slow circle around the circus grounds.

Three shows were planned in Canterbury. Around them, the crew had already begun putting up tents and equipment, unloading the trucks. Their one-day layover in the small town close to the sea had been pleasant; Ciel had begged out of driving, too nervous what would happen if they were stopped and once Wendy had overheard them talking about going to visit the sea, Sebastian had been forced to drive half the entourage there. Joker and Jumbo had stayed behind to watch the trucks, crew and animals; the rest of the active performers had piled into a rented SUV. Beast had ridden shotgun because she claimed if she sat next to Dagger he’d molest her, so Sebastian hadn’t gotten to talk to Ciel much on the drive. Doll and Wendy had sat in the far back on either side of the boy, chattering over his head, but the kid had looked content there. Sebastian didn’t have it in him to tell them to be quiet, anyway. Once at the beach, he’d had the pleasure of watching Ciel light up like Christmas; the salty air had tousled his fine hair and put a healthy flush into his cheeks, a smile on his face as he watched the waves hit the beach. The day had been beautiful; Ciel had been, too. Sebastian had found he couldn’t look away. In the evening, when everyone had come back to the circus grounds happy and tired from playing and the mini adventure, Ciel had grasped Sebastian’s sleeve and looked up at him with those large, clear eyes. “Thank you. That was very nice.” 

Sebastian had felt there was more to that gratefulness than a mere trip to the beach, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he had smiled and leaned in to kiss Ciel’s forehead. “You’re very welcome.” This time, the flush in Ciel’s cheeks hadn’t been the wind or sun.

Sebastian grimaced now as the redhead clung tighter to his arms, coming on to him so hard it was close to awkward. Despite Grell’s exotic looks and the waifish cast to his face, pretty enough, he wasn’t attracted to him one bit. That was a little odd; Sebastian could have overlooked all the red. Normally, he wouldn’t have hesitated to take someone if they flirted with him that excessively.

That had been before Ciel, however.

Eventually, Grell left, promising him to be at one of the next show to watch it, whenever he could get an evening off. Sebastian hoped that wouldn’t be any time soon. 

Ciel blinked at him like a little owl hit with the beam of a flashlight when he opened the large trunk he had hidden him in. It was large enough that he could sit somewhat comfortably, knees bent and pulled to his chest, a few magazines of Beast’s jammed inbetween the trunk and the lid so Ciel could breathe. Sebastian smiled at him kindly. “He’s gone. You can come out.” He held out a hand to assist the boy and Ciel grasped it with both hands, letting the man pull him up. The visit had taken close to an hour; his legs had fallen asleep about half an hour ago already and were too numb to support him now. He sagged against Sebastian the moment he tried straightening up.

Sebastian, of course, caught him. The boy weighed close to nothing, the darkhaired man thought as he supported the slim body with one arm around his waist and his free hand against the round of one delicate shoulder. His fingers were long enough to complete curl around Ciel’s arm – or maybe the small biceps was narrow enough to allow it. The fact, however, put a strange heat into Sebastian’s belly. Large blue eyes peered up at him from underneath a wispy fringe of slate colored hair soft as kitten fur. “Sorry….”  
“Don’t be.” His hand let go of his shoulder to stroke the back of his knuckles against a peach cheek. With his gloves on, he mourned the fact he didn’t feel Ciel’s skin for a second. Ciel’s eyes halflidded, the thick fringe of his dark lashes putting shadows onto his cheeks. Garnet caught navy and held it for a long moment.

“Sebastian, we…uh….sorry?”, Joker blinked at the two of them, having dragged the tent flap aside to peek inside. “Should I come back later?” His brows curved up amusedly, then gave a brief wiggle. Sebastian sighed. “No, that’s fine. What is it?” 

“There’s an issue with the electronics and Wendy asked where Snowy is. The first patrons will arrive in less than an hour for the afternoon showing and she wants to pretty you up before”, he said to the blushing boy. Ciel nodded and squirmed out of Sebastian’s arms, stepping from the trunk and heading off, weaving like a drunk. Joker chuckled. “What’s with him?”  
“Legs fell asleep. Show me what’s wrong”, Sebastian replied with a light smile. He wasn’t mad about the missed chance to kiss the lovely boy. There would be more of those, he was certain of it.

Ciel hurried to find Wendy, not even wincing at all the tools and colors lying around her vanity table anymore. He sat down and lifted his face for her to start her work.

“Green today”, she said happily, indicating to the heap of fabric she had lay out on her cot. The sleeveless bodice and the full skirt were a poisonous apple green, bright satin, the bodice covered artfully with black lace, full sleeves of the same fabric. More lace trailed down the back half of the skirt, forming a train behind. Matching high heeled shoes stood next to the cot. Ciel sighed. “Those shoes again…I’m not walking or anything, can’t we leave them?”

Wendy snickered. “No, silly. Be happy you don’t have to walk around like the rest of us. Those things are uncomfortable even if you’re used to them!” Wendy was the only person shorter than Ciel in the crew. She was tiny and petite and beautiful with her bright cognac colored eyes and long brown hair; Ciel figured she’d like wearing heels to make herself seem a little taller. The usual gunk was plastered onto his face; tinted lotion, matte pale powder, eyeliner, a hint of green and grey eyeshadow. Those dreaded little brushes that glued his lashes together. “I have a hard time believing girls do this willingly”, he complained, trying not to blink. Wendy smiled at him and kissed his cheek. “We like to be pretty for you guys, you know. Girls are vain!”  
“You’re pretty without make up”, Ciel sighed, making her coo all over him. “You’re such a sweetheart, Snowy! Now, for your flattery, I’ll allow you to walk to your casket without shoes. Shoo! Go on!”

Ciel was draped into his little chair and Wendy helped putting the shoes on, tiny things that squeezed his toes and made him pout. “Aw, Snowy, I’ll go get you a cookie, okay? There’s a few minutes left yet until the gates open.” Not that there were actual gates, but every afternoon at four p.m. Sebastian would draw back the rope that closed off the actual grounds for the masses so the patrons could walk around, look at the sideshows, buy snacks and drinks and generally flush their pockets with more money than their tickets alone. The tiger cubs were especially popular, though Beast refused to let the patrons touch them. They were welcome to watch them nap or eat or cajole around with their toys however. From where Ciel sat, he could watch Jumbo with his impressive weights, the fortune teller in her little tent, the entrance of the ominous looking tent that housed their snake charmer. Few people dared to go in there, most of them wanting to prove how tough they were or reptile enthusiasts. They got a lot of those in the larger cities, though in smaller towns like Canterbury, there was only a handful. 

Ciel settled into his quiet meditation as he got as comfortable as he’d get. The springs under the chair cushion pressed into the backs of his thighs as usual, the shoes squeezed his toes, the lacing of the bodice constricted his breathing a little, but he felt calmer already just sitting here and being useful to the people that had taken him in so kindly. And Sebastian had announced lasagna for dinner tonight, something he was looking forward to very much, Sebastian’s cooking was excellent…

The small door opened without him having seen anyone pass by his glass wagon. Curiously he turned his head to see a vaguely familiar face smile back at him. “Wendy said you wanted something sweet”, a croaky voice said as the old woman held out a small plate to him. On the plate sat the most delicious looking scone Ciel had ever seen, moist and golden and the perfect size to enjoy and not feel too full after. “Thank you”, he said politely and took the plate.   
“Just put it down under your chair when you’re done, we’ll clean up later”, the elder woman crooned at him, nodded and smiled, and stepped back. Now where had he seen her before…?

Ciel glanced at the large clock the circus attached to the largest tent. Ten minutes to go – better hurry. He took a big bite out of the scone. It was incredibly delicious, slightly tangy and sweet, a very fresh taste. He chewed and swallowed, turning to the woman in the entryway to ask if Sebastian had made this today – and found he couldn’t.

His tongue felt too large for his mouth.

The bodice was too tight, he couldn’t breathe – no, that wasn’t the dress. Ciel let the scone drop and clawed at his throat; the sweet pastry fell onto his skirt, shifted, dropped to the floor. Panic darkened the edges of his vision as the woman grinned widely, her mouth red, much too red…

His kicking foot caught the front pane of his glass casket with enough force to shatter it. The sound was loud and startled the woman into gaping; already, Jumbo came running, alarmed by the breaking. “Ambulance!”, he hollered, scooping Ciel out of the shards without regard to the sharp glass bits cutting into his forearms. The woman hissed and took a few steps back; when more people came running, she turned and ran away. Within moments, she was gone, impossible to find in the chaos that followed.

Sebastian arrived just as Ciel’s vision went black; he reached for the man, pleading, and Sebastian caught his hand just as it fell limp.

**

Outside the grounds, Grell watched his mistress approach in a hurried step. “You’re alone”, he noted. Ann glared at him, pulling strips of latex the color of her make-up from her face. “That’s a small set back”, she replied, panting slightly. “The ambulance is already on their way; they will check him into the hospital under a fake name, I assume, but I can easily drop a hint to Scotland Yard to where he may be. He’ll be fine to come home for his birthday.” She smiled widely as they walked back to where Grell had parked the car and got in. 

“There’s a few minor preparations to make still. We should return to the manor; I want a shower as soon as possible. That whole place stank like manure.”

“Well they do have horses there.”

“I realize that, Grell.”

“Just saying.”

She glanced at him as he backed the car from the grove of trees they had hidden it in and pulled back onto the road. By car and without delays, the trip was a little over an hour. Ann used it to peel the latex off of her face in long and short strips, watching herself in the vanity mirror of the passenger’s seat. “You seem a little put off, my love, what’s wrong?”

Grell huffed, brows drawn low over his expressive green eyes. Eyes the color of Ciel’s dress, she noticed. It had looked very pretty, especially with the damned brat gasping for breath. “You finished off the maid girl without me.”

“And you didn’t tell me you found Ciel almost a week ago already. What’s your point?” The redhaired man stayed silent. Ann shrugged. “If you had completed your task the way you were supposed to, I would have let you play.”

“Why, though?”, he asked her. “Why does he have to die? If it’s about the money, I’m sure he’d be happy to support you. It’s not like you’re broke.”

“Oh, my love, that’s not it at all. That kid should have never been born.” She picked at a stubborn piece of fake skin that made her look like a leper the more she tried to remove it. “My sister was a fucking bitch, you know. I hated her. Vincent was my boyfriend and she had nothing better to do than ride his dick even though she knew how I felt about him.” She grumbled at the piece and pulled harder. “Naturally, the little harlot became pregnant and Vincent felt obligated to marry her. I just want all of her legacy to go away. And if it benefits me in any way….why not?”

“That’s not his fault, though. He’s a sweet kid.”

“Don’t tell me you’re growing a conscience”, she scoffed. “How repulsive.”

The rest of the drive was silent. Once home, Ann left Grell to do whatever he felt like doing and took a long, hot shower; after, she toweled off and opened the hidden passage door without bothering to dress. It wasn’t like there was anyone liable to be back here besides maybe Grell and he certainly knew what her tits looked like naked. The roughly hewn stone steps were cold under her bare feet, the stale air cool and damp, pebbling her nipples and pulling her skin into goosebumps. It was a short flight; the hidden room she had found sat smackdab in the middle of the manor’s main wing on ground level. Next to it was the kitchen, a larger sitting room on the other side; where there should have been a door the grand staircase had been set. It was only accessible via the door hidden behind a bookshelf in the study that sat on the first floor above the mentioned sitting room. It was a nifty construction. She had often wondered what the original owners of the manor, some obscure Lord centuries back, may have intended to use this room for. She figured the original idea had been somewhat along the lines of hers. 

The stairs stopped in the living room sized room; the walls were rough, bare brick, the ground rotting wood over dirt. It didn’t matter to her what the room looked like, really. What mattered was the large pentagram painted onto the floor in the middle with the low altar set into the middle of it. It had taken her almost half a year to build this; the construction people were often put off by the demands, figuring she was a satan worshipper, and had to be quieted permanently.

Of course, she quieted those that were willing to work on it too – just a precaution. 

“This will be your final resting space, my lovely little nephew”, she murmured with a pleased smile, turning in a slow circle. The knife was sharpened and lay ready on the stone. Candles had been out into the appropriate spots already.

All that was left was her sacrificial lamb and the years of pain would finally be over.

**

The drive to the hospital passed in a blur for Sebastian. Although everyone was worried and frantic, he had left the crew behind, Joker in charge to go through with the show as per usual; he himself had gotten into the ambulance with a gasping Ciel who was steadily turning blue and had finally passed out. The young woman on duty, a very pretty blond who seemed nice but no-nonsense had steadily pushed a tube into Ciel’s mouth, down his swollen throat very carefully, and into his windpipe far enough so the machine Sebastian sat next to could breathe for the boy. Still, Ciel wouldn’t open his eyes.

“He received an anaphylactic shock”, the blonde, whose nametag identified her as Dr. Midford had told him. “Unconsciousness can happen; we should prepare for him sleeping for quite a while, really. Do you know what could have caused this?”

“He’s allergic to apples”, Sebastian had told her numbly. “There must have been some in the last thing he ate.” Although how that could have happened was a mystery to Sebastian; he had banned apples in all prepared dishes, although there were still whole fruits for everyone to enjoy if they so wished. Ciel wouldn’t have eaten an apple, not voluntarily. 

Now he sat by Ciel’s bedside, redrimmed eyes fixed on the tiny lump his body made in the hospital bed; he had missed the first show and the second. This morning, the crew had visited to see how they were; they had brought presents, mostly self-made cards and candies, Dagger bawling and clutching a few limp flowers he had stolen from a frontyard on the way to the hospital. 

Sebastian stayed. 

The plastic chair was uncomfortable, but he didn’t feel it. The coffee tasted like it had been brewed by a dishwasher, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t hungry. He didn’t sleep. When he went to the bathroom, he hurried so much he had more than once banged his elbow or knee in the cramped space. 

On the afternoon of the third show, Beast came to visit alone.

“What do you want us to do?”, she asked him, holding his face in both hands so he would look at her. “Goodness, Sebastian, you need sleep. We have to be in Dover by tomorrow evening. You have to make a decision.”

“I’m not leaving him.”

“So you’re leaving us?”

He sighed and closed his eyes. “No. No, of course not. But…”

Beast glanced at the boy on the bed; on his back, eyes closed, hair lank, a tube in his mouth going who knew where inside him and needles in his arms. “Who is he, exactly?” Sebastian smiled and let his forehead sink against her abdomen. She curled her arms around his head. “He needs my protection. If I’m not here, who knows what will happen.”

“That’s what the doctors are here for, aren’t they?”

“No…he ran from his family for a reason. If they find out he’s here and come to get him…and I’m not here…”

He looked at the boy. “I may never see him again.”

Beast sighed. “Alright. We’ll manage to get to Dover without you, but Sebastian, we can’t go to France without you. You’ll have to find a solution until then.”

When she was gone, he got another cup of coffee, sat back down. Relocated to the edge of his bed.

“I won’t allow anything to happen to you, Ciel”, he said softly to the sleeping boy. “I promise. You can sleep however long you need to get better, but please…” Sebastian closed his eyes, his throat tight. “Please come back to me.”

Canting his head almost awkwardly, he leaned in, brushing his lips against the corner of Ciel’s mouth. The tube prevented him from kissing the boy fully; else he would have done it.

 

Next to him, the steady, slow beeping of the machine monitoring Ciel’s heartbeat sped up loudly.


	5. Forever After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this is the second fairytale that's finished now! A third one is in the pipeline already and I hope I'll get the first chapter up before the weekend.
> 
> And exciting news! This weekend, I will be on a convention with printed copies of Beauty of the Beast. Keep up with me on www.facebook.com/fatgirlcosplay or my tumblr: fatgirlcosplay-kitteh, I will be posting pictures of the actual books when they arrive, which should be today. Depending on how many I can get rid of this weekend, I may do a drawing for a copy to send to you. I'll draw among the reviews for BotB I believe! (So if you haven't reviewed but still want to win, go on and do it ;) )
> 
> Anyway, the next thing I will post is either the spin-off to Bittersweet, a story about how that universe's Ciel and Sebastian met (and how Ciel got Sebastian into bed in the first place), or the first chapter to the new fairytale, which will be called Red-Handed. I wish I could give you a teaser like I did with Apples & Arsenic, but frankly, I haven't actually started writing yet. (Can you guess which fairytale will be featured?)

In a blink, all hell broke loose.

The moment Ciel’s heartrate monitor began beeping so loudly there was a flurry of activity; there was the barest glimmer of ocean blue from beneath the fall of the boy’s lashes, the soft intake of a deeper breath, then Sebastian was pulled back from the bed by a harried nurse, almost dislodging the air tube that fed Ciel oxygen with the hand he’d had cupping the soft, cool cheek, and stumbled back a few steps until the windowsill stopped his path. The nurse was followed by a doctor, both working efficiently and quickly, but blocking Sebastian’s view of the happenings. 

Fear gripped him; he had spent three days and nights at Ciel’s bedside, watching the boy sleep, worrying about if he ever got to see those beautiful eyes again, pensive when he figured out Ciel wouldn’t wake up until he was good and ready. Sebastian knew what stress could do to a human body and mind and the boy had had a lot of it over the last week; running away from home, away from his only remaining family member that wanted him dead, having to adjust into an environment he was unfamiliar with. Knowing he’d have to be on his guard for the rest of his life. No matter how kindly they had taken Ciel in, the boy was sure to be distressed.

But this…this was not Ciel’s mind and body resting. The hushed, urgent whispers of the doctor and nurse proved that. The nurse left and returned with a syringe, injecting the IV with the liquid in it.

Little by little, the heart monitor calmed down to its steady beeping. The doctor was still talking, but this time, it wasn’t to the nurse or even Sebastian.

He was talking to Ciel.

Sebastian’s heart missed a beat. Ciel was awake – that meant he had to be better. The doctor smiled down kindly at the boy while the nurse turned to Sebastian. “Mr. Michaelis…” Sebastian stepped forward as if called to attention. “Yes?”

“Your nephew is awake. He will be disoriented for a bit, but he will get much better from now on.” She smiled at him. “He wants to see you.”

They had admitted Ciel under a false name and Sebastian had paid a small sum up front so the hospital wouldn’t ask insurance right away. He had been worrying about that, too, how much longer he could keep under wraps that he held the Phantomhive heir, knowing the country was looking for him all over the place. He’d seen the articles in magazines and newspapers, read the theories what could have happened to him. Of course his aunt would have called the police when she figured out he was missing. They had been lucky so far.

Sebastian let out a relieved breath he hadn’t known he was holding and approached the bed. The nurse stepped aside for him and navy eyes, dark with fatigue, looked up at him. The doctor had removed the nasal tube and the one in his mouth; the corners of Ciel’s mouth were slightly cracked having wrapped around it for so long. His lips were chapped, he was too pale, his hair matted.

He couldn’t have been more beautiful to Sebastian.

Without words, he stepped close to the bed, cupping one cheek, bent down until their foreheads touched. A wave of emotion rolled over him and gripped his heart tightly; for a moment, he could not breathe. Ciel was awake. He was canting his face up against his although his eyes had closed again. Sebastian tried hard not to cry. “You got us all a little worried,” he said softly into the minimal space between them. Ciel’s mouth curved into a faint smile. “Sorry.”

“No,” he protested, cupping Ciel’s face with both hands. “No, don’t be sorry. I should have cared for you better. I never wanted you to get hurt.”

“This isn’t your fault-“ Sebastian’s lips came down on his in a dry, firm press that was all desperation and relief. “I’m never taking my eyes off of you again.”

Ciel was released that afternoon. A nurse had helped him shower although he had insisted on trying alone, but too dizzy still to properly do it by himself and Sebastian had called Joker to have him bring some clothing for the boy as well as pick them up. Ciel was dressed and held between the men as they made their way to the parking lot. “Thank you,” the boy told the both of them sincerely. “No, really, thank you. I know you didn’t have to do this. I’ll reimburse you for the hospital cost.”

Joker smiled indulgently and told him not to worry about it – he didn’t know who Ciel was, after all. Sebastian merely looked down at him thoughtfully. “Are you well enough to go see your notary?” Both of them looked at him – Joker confused, Ciel pensive. “I’m a little nervous,” Ciel admitted, but he nodded. “It’s better to do this right away.” Then he frowned. “Just…where are we, exactly?”

They dropped off Joker at the site the circus used here and took the car to drive to Dover. Straight to the town, it was a matter of twenty minutes by car; less than half an hour in which Ciel twisted the seatbelt in his hands nervously. “I don’t know what to tell him…”

“You’d tell him your story, of course.”

“Yes, but…how? It sounds a little fantastical, if I think about it.”

The notary, a tall, frankly weird man that had long ashwhite hair, a penchant for giggling at inappropriate times and too long fingernails, didn’t seem to think so. Upon dropping his name to the man’s assistant, they were ushered inside the brownstone house and up the stairs to a large study, complete with bookshelves floor to ceiling on all sides, dark wood furniture and a desk that, oddly, reminded Ciel of a coffin the way it was shaped. He was handed a cup of strong tea and a few cookies that were shaped like dogtreats but turned out to be shortbread instead of pet food and rather delicious, and sat in one of the leather chairs in front of the desk. Sebastian sat next to him, a steady, reassuring presence. 

“My dear boy!” the Undertaker, as the man had introduced himself as, said jovially as he sat down across from them. “You grew quite a lot, huh? Last time I saw you, you were this tiny little thing. Eyes bigger than the rest of your body.”

“You…know me?”

“Of course I do! I’ve done business with your father in the past. Not so much in the latter years, but before, ah yes, before…we had quite the friendship.” His mouth curved in an odd little smile that made Ciel frown. “My aunt is trying to kill me,” he replied. The Undertaker barked out a laugh. “Hah! Yes, she’d do that, wouldn’t she. Crazy old bat. She still hanging out with that redheaded guy?” Ciel nodded softly and the man chortled and shook his head. “Bad crowd, that is. Bad crowd. I read in the papers you ran away from home.”

“Yes,” Ciel said, curling his fingers around the warm cup and looked down into the amber liquid. “I had to. Our maid overheard her saying something that made her believe I wouldn’t survive the night. My aunt sent her…her friend after me to catch me, but he never did. And then they tried to kill me with an apple scone – I’m allergic.”

“And here you are. Impressive, kid. Really impressive.”

Ciel was a bit surprised, but not unpleasantly. Yes, the man was odd. But he had known his father, had been on friendly terms with him, even if he himself had never heard the man’s name before. He would have thought Angelina would pick another notary to finish this business, but maybe…

“Is there a will?”

The Undertaker blinked at him through his long fringe. “Huh? Oh, one your father made? Of course. Vincent wasn’t an idiot. It’s ironclad, too.” He rustled through one of the large drawers of his desk and pulled out a folder, flipping it open. “Says right here, should anything happen to them, your aunt will be your legal guardian until you turn eighteen, then you inherit the company, the estates, your trust fund. Everything basically. Ann would get a small pension…I say small, but it’s only really tiny in comparison to your portion. She’d live quite comfortably with it, truly. If you died, however…she’s the only living family left, so she’d get all of it.” He shrugged and shoved the folder over so Ciel could take a look. “You a business savvy like your father, kid?” 

Ciel sighed. “No…I spent the last three years locked up in a room. I’ll have to finish school.” He slowly flipped the papers inside that folder; his heart clenched painfully when he saw the elegant, curvy signature of his parents on the legal documents. There was even a picture of the three of them in it. Ciel drew his fingertips gently down his mother’s beautiful, smiling face and felt tears burning in the back of his throat. “I…miss them very much.”

Seeing him like this broke Sebastian’s heart a little more. He reached out and stroked the backs of his knuckles down Ciel’s soft cheek, then turned to the man. “Is there anything we can do? His aunt kept him locked up and tried to kill him. Can we call the police on them?”

“Oh, absolutely. Sure,” the Undertaker nodded. “I’d advise it, even. I mean, it would take some weeks to conclude the final evaluation, yes, but until then, Ciel would be safe. He’s of age now, so we can’t put him up with any foster families, but-“

“Can I stay with Sebastian?”

Both men looked at him in surprise. “You’d want to stay with me?” Sebastian asked softly. Ciel gave him a smile. “He took very good care of me,” he told the notary, reaching over to take Sebastian’s hand. Their fingers tangled. “And I still have to work off the debt I owe him, after all. He paid for the hospital visit.” Navy eyes fixed in garnet ones. “I owe him my life.”

The Undertaker snickered. “Oh, you are too much. Look how cute you are. Yes, you can stay with your boyfriend.” Both of them blushed to the tips of their ears. “We’re not- I mean…um…” Sebastian had to laugh and gave the small hand in his a squeeze. “I would absolutely be your boyfriend if you wanted me to.”

**

Sitting in a courtroom was an experience that was completely unreal. Press had been denied access, so the room was almost empty and very quiet. Ciel sat next to his solicitor, a stern looking man that had introduced himself as William T. Spears, who had been an associate of Vincent’s as well. The Undertaker had set them up shortly after Ciel’s visit, when the police had searched the townhouse and the manor and arrested Ann and her pet.

His aunt was glowering at him from across the room, all but chewing her cheek to ribbons as not so say anything wrong. The charges laid against her were horrifying. 

Sebastian had been allowed to come and sat in the audience with some of the witnesses, his eyes on Ciel as the charges were laid out against the only living member of his boyfriend’s family.

Unlawful detention. Emotional abuse of a legal ward. Torture. Murder.

The police had found the body of the maid in the manor, still hanging at the wall of the study like a trophy, skin peeled, fingers and toes amputated and stuffed into any bodily orifice one could think of. With a tight throat, Ciel had looked at the less wild pictures and confirmed that this woman had been the one to usher him out of the house that night. No one made the comment that this was probably the reason she’d had to die, but everyone thought it. There had been more bodies, buried deeper. There had been a room that they had found only because someone had forgotten to fully close the hidden door, which the officer on duty had described, in a haunted, tired voice, as the theatre for satanic rituals. A large pentagram on the ground that had been confirmed was painted in human blood, black candles, books on the occult. A cage with two skeletons of human children aged between fourteen and eighteen. Ciel’s blood ran cold. The theory was offered that Ann had been practicing to sacrifice her nephew in a horrific way. The comment her redheaded friend made about the full moon being a very important factor cemented that. 

It didn’t seem to Ciel that Grell was all that worried about having to go to jail. He’d face a lesser punishment than Ann because they weren’t able to prove he actually had done anything, so he got off with a few years in prison for knowing what was happening, which he didn’t deny, and not telling anyone about it. 

Ann was a different story. Quiet and angry, she eventually snapped at Ciel across the room. “I hate you,” she snarled. “You stupid little bastard. You should never have been born in the first place.” Her mania must have been strong, because she closed her eyes and leaned her head back as if imagining something soothing and pretty. “You would have looked so much prettier dead.”

Ciel was shaken when the trial was over. It was wrapped up rather quickly with everyone confessing and not even denying what they had done; Ann was brought to an institutional prison in which she would spend the rest of her life medicated. They didn’t believe she’d ever rehabilitate. Grell winked at Sebastian and mouthed ‘call me’ when he was taken away in handcuffs. Ciel stepped up beside the tall darkhaired man and was curled close immediately, a kiss dropped onto his head. 

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright?” Sebastian asked worriedly, rubbing a hand up and down Ciel’s back. The boy nodded, shakily. He’d turned eighteen the day they had visited the notary for the first time and when the crew had found out, they had baked a huge cake and scrounged up presents. Today Ciel was going to tell them the truth and reimburse them. He had been given full control over the company, the funds, the estates and belongings and the title of Earl of Phantomhive that had last belonged to his father. It was a lot to take in. “I’ll be fine,” he replied and smiled up lightly. Sebastian leaned down and kissed him gently. “Let’s go then, you have a party to go to.”

Ciel wasn’t able to fully enjoy the party; having to tell his friends the truth about himself felt like a betrayal. He had lied to them, after all. After today, the circus would have to take the ferry to France; their tour had been delayed a few days because of his trial, something else Ciel felt bad about. He was planning to donate a hefty amount of money to the circus as soon as he got his hands on the bank accounts. He was also planning to turn the Phantomhive manor into a museum. The art and old furniture in it were priceless, and the trial and what Ann had done had spurned myth and scary stories from the locals that connected the family to many serial killers of the past, most noted Jack the Ripper. Ciel didn’t feel bad at all about exploiting that a little; there was no harm in it and it would please the Londoners, who were on fire for scary, dark things. 

But he would miss Sebastian terribly. 

“It’s just half a year,” he told him…or rather, Doll and Beast, who were hanging onto him in the harbor and hugged him tight enough he had trouble breathing. “Guys, seriously, I will stand right here the moment you return. I promise.”

“Snowy,” Doll wailed. “Are you sure you can’t come along? Please? I need you!”

“Yes,” Beast said. “Betty’s babies need someone to feed them! Just when I got used to you. Life is rough.”

“Oh let the kid breathe,” Peter rolled his eyes as he strolled past, patting Ciel on the back. “I’ll see you in six months.”

One by one, they said their goodbyes and went onto the ferry. Sebastian was last. 

“I’ll miss you,” he said, cupping Ciel’s cheek. The boy smiled up at him. “And I’ll miss you. Call me when you get settled for the evening.” Sebastian leaned down to kiss him. “I will.”

**

A lot was done in the half year Ciel could concentrate on his business. The company had done rather well even without guidance from Vincent and he left it in the hands of a very capable man called Agni, who had run it as chairman in the last years. Ciel, always having been a smart kid, finished his A levels with top grades; he’d done nothing but read the past years after all. By the time Sebastian returned to Britain, he was enrolled in university for his business degree and interning for Agni, so he could take over the company eventually. The manor had been cleaned and opened for the public and was a great success. Ciel had gotten his driver’s license, too, something Sebastian had lamented for a long time when he’d told him about it on the phone. 

Ciel was beaming as, half a year after seeing them off, his friends returned, hurrying down the ramp so they could tackle-hug him. He had rented two large houses for their winter break so they could relax. 

Sebastian was another matter. 

When Ciel had proposed to him that he could stay with him in the townhouse, just one street over from the rented ones, Sebastian had been worried first what would happen to the buildings if he didn’t keep his crew under control…but living with Ciel was too good to pass up.

Sebastian was almost asleep already in the bed they shared that evening when Ciel scooted closer and nestled in against his front. “Sebastian.”

“Hmmm?” Ciel smiled and kissed his throat. “I missed you a lot.” One garnet eye cracked open in interest. “Oh?”

“Mhmm.” Soft kisses rained up and down his neck. Then there was a little, playful bite and Sebastian growled, turning them over so he was hovering over the boy, who smiled up at him brightly. “You weren’t tired yet, were you?”

Ciel looked amazing even in nightclothes; Sebastian pushed a hand beneath the soft cotton shirt to feel satiny skin. He leaned down to match up their lips, brushing his own over the soft, plush ones beneath his. Ciel moaned and curled his arms around his boyfriend’s neck, fingers tangling in dark hair. Their kiss became deeper, wetter, and Sebastian shifted so he could comfortably occupy the space between Ciel’s spread thighs. 

It didn’t take long for them to lose all clothing. Cocooned in the blanket and comforter, their warm skin grew hotter against one another; Ciel mewled when Sebastian’s mouth found the curve of his neck and kissed and sucked it until the spot was pink, matching the color of his nipples, which the older found next. He kissed and licked the tender nubs until Ciel’s breath hitched and he squirmed beneath him. “Seb- oh…” Ciel’s excitement rubbed up against Sebastian’s flat stomach and the other couldn’t help but smile as he sank down further to lick that, too. 

When Ciel was near insensate with pleasure from Sebastian’s mouth and relaxed and wet from his lubed fingers, Sebastian turned him over onto his front. “It’ll be easier this way,” he murmured against the curve of Ciel’s back, a growl in his voice. Ciel was so tiny still that he feared he’d break him if he folded him in half on his back. The boy still whimpered when he came over him and carefully pushed into the snug, upturned ass, but each of his thrusts rubbed Ciel’s cock into the soft sheets beneath them, so pleasure very quickly outpaced the discomfort. “You’re soft,” Sebastian purred against the back of his boyfriend’s neck, fingers grasping the sheets hard on either side of Ciel’s head so he wouldn’t just ram up into the fresh hole. To keep his mind off the need to completely claim the boy hard and fast, he busied himself kissing Ciel’s neck and shoulders. 

It was rewarded with a series of mewls that grew into cries as soon as he was fully inside and putting pressure against Ciel’s deep, sweet spot. “You can…oh, god….please, Sebastian, move,” panted the boy, hanging his head until his fringe brushed the mattress. He did move. Sebastian shifted so he had more traction, allowing Ciel to spread his legs wider too, and sped up until he was ploughing that sweet behind and Ciel was moaning loudly, clawing at the sheets. The boy came before him, whimpering and biting his lips, and Sebastian allowed the pulsing of Ciel’s orgasm to pull him over the edge as well.

He rolled over to let Ciel cuddle up to him, watching the pretty face, how his dark eyes were hazy with pleasure, lips bitten pink and plush. “I love you,” he told him tenderly, brushing dark hair from his forehead. 

Ciel’s smile was the sun.

“I love you too.”


End file.
